MARIA THERESA OF AUSTRIA 173

caused by the Princess Auersperg was always keenly felt
by their children. Isabella of Parma, who married
Archduke Joseph in 1760, was much embarrassed by this
situation when she became a member of Maria Theresa's
household. In common with every one else, she " re-
sponded to Francis's frank friendliness/' but she dared
not show him too much affection, lest the Empress think
that she was favouring Princess Auersperg. Arch-
duchess Isabella had soon appreciated the fact that
Francis "consulted the Princess about many things which
were not her business to know, and that the Empress
was in a constant state of agitation over this affair.1'

Archduchess Maria Christine, Maria Theresa's second
daughter, who later married Prince Albert of Saxe-
Teschen, wrote to her sister-in-law Isabella: " The
Emperor is a very good father, we can always count on
his devotion, and we must therefore protect him against
himself. I am referring to his relations with Princess
Auersperg. Perhaps you don't realise what a great
.influence this woman has on him. He has absolute
faith in her, and he hides nothing from her. The
Empress is extremely jealous of this attachment/'

Though Maria Theresa's family knew that she was
unhappy, and her friends and courtiers must have
guessed it, she never for an instant allowed her personal
distress to interfere with her work. She never remained
away from a conference of her ministers, even if by
doing so she might have prevented Francis from joining
the Princess Auersperg. Maria Theresa had long before
chosen between Francis and her country, and evea if,
by devoting more time to him and less to affairs of
State, she might have made him give up the Princess,
she could never have done so. Her country came first,
Whatever suffering this choice implied.